Pakistan vs Hong Kong ODI Prediction

Betting Tips

Pakistan have never lost to Hong Kong in an ODI; they have faced them twice in the Asia Cup and have emerged victorious each time.

Hong Kong would have received a massive confidence boost after winning the Asia Cup Qualifier and they will be raring to cause an upset here.

Pakistan have one of the best bowling attacks in the world and Hong Kong's batsmen are likely to struggle against them in these conditions.

Our PickPakistan are favorites to win

Who Will Win Hong Kong vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2018?

Pakistan are set to face Hong Kong in the second match of the Asia Cup 2018. This Group A game will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on September 16. Live action is scheduled to start at 3:30 PM local time.

Pak vs HK: Where to Watch/Live Streaming

Toss Prediction

The wicket at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium tends to assist the bowlers more early on in the game and run-scoring becomes a tad easier during the second period of play. This is why the toss-winning captain may decide to bowl first.

Pakistan Team News & Playing 11

Pak Team News

Pakistan's 16-man squad for the Asia Cup is without Mohammad Hafeez and allrounder Imad Wasim who have been ignored. Haris Sohail has been recalled while Shan Masood, Shaheen Afridi and Usman Khan have earned call-ups due to their impressive recent performances. There were no injury issues for Pakistan at the time of writing.

Pak Key Players

Pakistan's batting will rely heavily on the likes of Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik. Fakhar is coming off a fantastic ODI series in Zimbabwe where he finished as the leading run-getter with 515 runs in five matches and he is going to be the key man for his side. Babar averaged an impressive 184 in that series while Shoaib is the most experienced batsman in this line-up. Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan are the big threats in Pakistan's bowling attack. Ashraf bagged the most wickets against Zimbabwe - 9 in 4 matches - and the team will want him to keep up the good work. Hasan Ali has 68 wickets in 33 ODIs and he could trouble Hong Kong early on with the new ball. Conditions should also suit Shadab and he will have an important role to play in the middle overs.

Pak Recent Form

Pakistan have so far played ten one-day internationals this year out of which they have won five and lost as many. Though they have won their last five matches in a row, they won't be very satisfied as all of those wins came against minnows Zimbabwe. Prior to their 5-0 series victory over Zimbabwe, Pakistan suffered a whitewash at the hands of New Zealand in a series of five matches.

Pakistan Predicted Playing 11

Hong Kong Team News & Playing 11

Hk Team News

Anshuman Rath, who took over the captaincy from Babar Hayat at the recent Asia Cup Qualifier held in Malaysia, will continue to lead the team in the main event. Hong Kong have drafted Tanveer Ahmed and Raag Kapur into their 17-man squad for the Asia Cup. Nizakat Khan is expected to open the batting alongside the skipper. All of Hong Kong's matches in the tournament have been granted ODI status by the ICC.

Hk Key Players

Babar Hayat, Anshuman Rath and Nizakat Khan have been the most reliable batsmen for Hong Kong in the 50-overs format. Babar has scored the most runs for the team in one-day internationals - 759 runs in 20 matches - and has eight fifties to his name. Anshuman was their best batsman in the recent Asia Cup Qualifier in Malaysia and the skipper will be expected to lead from the front. Nizakat has the best ODI strike rate of the three and he will look to take Hong Kong off to a brisk start. When it comes to bowling, the skipper will turn to the likes of Nadeem Ahmed, Ehsan Khan and Tanwir Afzal to apply pressure on the Pakistani batsmen. Left-arm spinner Nadeem is the team's leading wicket-taker in ODIs and he was their most successful bowler in the Asia Cup Qualifier with 14 wickets in 6 matches. Ehsan and Tanwir too did a good job in that tournament.

Hk Recent Form

Since losing their ODI status after a disastrous run in the 2019 ICC World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, Hong Kong have shown massive improvement in their game and they emerged as the best team in last week's Asia Cup Qualifier in Malaysia. They did start off their campaign on a losing note with a three-wicket loss against the hosts but came storming back into the tournament to win all of their remaining fixtures, including the final against the UAE.

Team Form in Last Five Matches (most recent first)

PAK : W W W W W

HK : W W W W L

­PAK vs HK Head to Head

­Pak vs Hk Head to Head

Pakistan have wins in each of the two one-day internationals they have played against Hong Kong in the past and both of those were Asia Cup encounters - one played in 2004 and the other in 2008.

In their last encounter - a pool game of the 2008 Asia Cup - Pakistan scored 288/9 in their 50 overs after electing to bat first. They then wrapped up Hong Kong for 133 in the 38th over to win the match by a whopping 155 runs.

Matches Played: 2, Pakistan Won: 2; Hong Kong Won: 0

­Hong Kong vs Pakistan Betting Odds

Pakistan, without any surprises, are the obvious favorites amongst the bookmakers to win this Asia Cup match at extremely short odds of 1.03 on Bet365 and 1.04 on Betfair. Hong Kong may have had an excellent qualifier tournament but it won't be easy for them at all to beat a team like Pakistan. They are huge underdogs for this game and have been priced at 15 on Bet365 and 21 on Betfair.

­Pakistan vs Hong Kong Prediction

Hong Kong roared loudly in the Asia Cup Qualifier and winning the tournament would have given them a lot of confidence. They will now be coming into this match with high hopes and a belief that they can cause an upset. However, facing Pakistan would be a completely different challenge for them. They know that they have met them twice in the Asia Cup before and have ended up losing on both occasions. Each and every player in their side will have to be on top of their game and they will also need Pakistan to play below their potential. Sarfraz Ahmed and his men will be eying this game as an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the conditions and gain momentum before taking on India. They are arguably the best bowling side in the tournament and we predict them to start their campaign off with a comfortable win.

Final Verdict: Back Pakistan to beat Hong Kong at 1.03 on Bet365 and 1.04 on Betfair.

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